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[email protected] · June 16th 10, 10:34 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In article Of6Sn.61552$yA.40359@hurricane,
(Richard J.) wrote:

The hysteria arose because the government cut the grant that it
pays to London to cover free travel by non-London pass holders by
£29M after the council budgets for 2010-11 had been set in outline.
Thus councils were faced with last-minute budgeting changes in
order to meet their promises (which many had already made) of no
council tax increase. There was never any real threat to the
Freedom Pass, but hinting that there might be ensured that the
government's last-minute change became fully visible to the public.

In fact, the expected deluge of pass-holders on the capital as a
result of the English concessionary travel scheme has not
materialised. Even with the reduced grant, the London boroughs are
not out of pocket on that particular deal, though to be fair they
would claim that they are well out of pocket in many other areas
where central government have imposed unfunded extra requirements.

Meanwhile councils like mine have experienced real financial chaos from
this scheme. Not hysteria but reality.

--
Colin Rosenstiel